Photo Caption:More than 70 graduates from parts of New Jersey and New York, who completed either the Practical Nurse (PN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, were recognized by the Berkeley College School of Health Studies at a pinning ceremony held at the Cosmopolitan in Wayne, NJ. The graduates also participated in the time-honored tradition of reciting the Florence Nightingale Pledge. Pictured, L to R, are: Mary Jane Genuino, DNP, RN-BC, Chair, Nursing and Patient Care Technician programs, Berkeley College School of Health Studies; Berkeley College graduates Vanessa Arbelo of Maywood, Nicole Marie Nahas of Fair Lawn and Rachel Somick of Fair Lawn; and Suzanne Mullings-Carter, PhD, RN, Associate Chair, Nursing, Berkeley College School of Health Studies.

Graduates of the Berkeley College School of Health Studies Practical Nurse (PN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs were honored during a pinning ceremony held at the Cosmopolitan in Wayne, NJ, on December 13, 2019.

Addressing the graduates, Mary Jane Genuino, DNP, RN-BC, Chair, Nursing and Patient Care Technician programs, Berkeley College School of Health Studies, said, “Nursing is about the mind, the heart and the hands. Knowledge can be taught and learned, skills can be practiced and mastered, but the heart, that is all on you. To be a nurse is a privilege that not everyone is afforded. So, I implore you, practice your profession with integrity, honesty, and above all, with compassion.”

“You embody the Berkeley College mission to provide quality education, to provide opportunities for upward mobility, and to empower people to achieve their potential,” said Eva Skuka, MD, PhD, Dean, Berkeley College School of Health Studies. “Go out there and practice your profession with vigor, with commitment, and most of all, with kindness.”

Suzanne Mullings-Carter, PhD, RN, Associate Chair, Nursing, Berkeley College School of Health Studies, told the graduates, “Now is the time for you to exhale and reflect on the wealth of knowledge you have developed throughout your years in the Berkeley College nursing program and what that will mean as you enter your nursing practice. You now have developed a higher level of learning and understanding, and you will be expected to apply this knowledge to all of your life’s situations. Your innate ability to respond to the needs of individuals embodies the art of nursing, which translates into patient care.”

After receiving their honors, the graduates recited the Florence Nightingale Pledge, promising to uphold the integrity of the nursing profession.

The following graduates from Bergen County, NJ, were recognized and received nursing pins:

- Kimberly Alzate of Elmwood Park, PN

- Vanessa Arbelo of Maywood, BSN

- Jeahan Baeira of Elmwood Park, PN

- Jessica Cohen of Fair Lawn, PN

- Nicole Marie Nahas of Fair Lawn, PN

- Jackeline Rodriguez of Garfield, PN

- Rachel Somick of Fair Lawn, PN

The Berkeley College School of Health Studies provides career-focused education in some of today’s most in-demand healthcare professions – in clinical specializations, as well as healthcare administration and management. Degree and certificate programs have been carefully developed to meet the needs of this important field. In addition to the PN program, Berkeley College offers the first Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to BSN degree program in New Jersey.

About Berkeley CollegeBerkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College has campuses in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, as well as in Midtown Manhattan and White Plains, NY, with more than 5,700 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for six consecutive years. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.

The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.